Moving Beyond the Valley of Death: Regulation and Venture Capital Investments in Early-Stage Biopharmaceutical Firms

Abstract

Can regulation reduce risks associated with investing in early-stage firms? Using the passage of the European Orphan Drug Act (EU-ODA), we examine this question in the biopharmaceutical industry. We provide causal evidence that venture capitalists (VCs) are more likely to invest in early-stage firms operating in sub-fields disproportionately affected by EU-ODA. The switch to early-stage investments appears strongest among VCs that previously faced greater levels of information asymmetry. We also find that the level of syndication declined for early-stage investments and exit performance improved. We conclude discussing the implications of our findings for public policy, entrepreneurship and innovation.